Causes and measures of adulteration MCQs With Answer

Introduction:

Causes and measures of adulteration is a critical topic for M.Pharm students specializing in Herbal and Cosmetic Analysis. Adulteration of herbal drugs and cosmetic raw materials can be intentional (economically motivated substitution, dilution, or addition of cheaper substances) or unintentional (contamination, poor collection, storage, or processing). Understanding common adulterants, routes of adulteration, and practical analytical and managerial measures to detect and prevent adulteration is essential for ensuring patient safety and product efficacy. This blog-style MCQ set focuses on core causes, detection techniques (pharmacognostic, chromatographic, spectrometric, DNA-based), and regulatory and quality-control measures used in modern herbal and cosmetic industries.

Q1. Which of the following best describes the most common intentional form of adulteration in herbal materials?

• Substitution of a high-value plant with a cheaper, but similar-looking species
• Increase of moisture content during storage
• Cross-contamination with microorganisms during processing
• Loss of volatile oils due to improper drying

Correct Answer: Substitution of a high-value plant with a cheaper, but similar-looking species

Q2. Economically motivated adulteration (EMA) is best defined as:

• Unintentional contamination due to poor hygiene
• Deliberate addition, substitution, or dilution of product for financial gain
• Natural variation in active constituent levels
• Degradation of compounds during long-term storage

Correct Answer: Deliberate addition, substitution, or dilution of product for financial gain

Q3. Which analytical technique is most appropriate for quantitative detection of synthetic dye adulterants in herbal powders?

• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
• DNA barcoding
• Microscopic transverse section analysis
• Loss on drying

Correct Answer: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)

Q4. Which pharmacopeial parameter is most indicative of inorganic adulteration such as sand or mineral salts?

• Total ash and acid-insoluble ash values
• Alcohol soluble extractive
• pH of aqueous extract
• Thin layer chromatography (TLC) profile

Correct Answer: Total ash and acid-insoluble ash values

Q5. Which routine test is most useful to detect adulteration in a powdered herbal drug when macroscopic features are lost?

• Microscopic (powder) examination
• Organoleptic taste test
• Measurement of bulk density only
• Loss on ignition

Correct Answer: Microscopic (powder) examination

Q6. What is the main advantage of DNA barcoding in authentication of herbal materials?

• Species-level identification even in processed or powdered samples
• Quantification of all secondary metabolites
• Rapid detection of heavy metal contamination
• Replacement for ash value determinations

Correct Answer: Species-level identification even in processed or powdered samples

Q7. Which of the following farm-level practices is principally designed to prevent adulteration and contamination of herbal raw materials?

• Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP)
• Good Distribution Practice (GDP)
• Hazard Analysis Only
• Finished product dissolution testing

Correct Answer: Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP)

Q8. Which analytical technique is most commonly used for sensitive determination of heavy metal adulterants in herbal samples?

• Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS)
• Ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis)
• Thin layer chromatography (TLC)
• Organoleptic assessment

Correct Answer: Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS)

Q9. Which quality management system specifically emphasizes hazard control points to reduce microbiological and other contamination risks in production?

• Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
• Pharmacovigilance only
• Only batch release certificates without monitoring
• Visual inspection at retail level

Correct Answer: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)

Q10. Which adulterant has been historically used to enhance the yellow color of turmeric and poses significant health risks?

• Lead chromate
• Sodium chloride
• Starch from tapioca
• Benzoic acid

Correct Answer: Lead chromate

Q11. Marker-based standardization of an herbal drug primarily involves:

• Quantitative determination of a characteristic marker compound(s)
• Measuring only moisture content
• Assessing only particle size distribution
• Relying solely on organoleptic description

Correct Answer: Quantitative determination of a characteristic marker compound(s)

Q12. Which simple chemical test is commonly used to detect the presence of starch adulteration in powdered herbal materials?

• Iodine (iodine–potassium iodide) test producing blue-black complex
• Flame test for sodium
• Biuret test for proteins
• Alkaloid Dragendorff’s test

Correct Answer: Iodine (iodine–potassium iodide) test producing blue-black complex

Q13. For detecting substitution of a botanical species in processed herbal powders, which approach is most reliable?

• DNA barcoding and sequencing
• Moisture content determination
• Total ash measurement only
• Smell (olfactory) comparison alone

Correct Answer: DNA barcoding and sequencing

Q14. A significantly high acid-insoluble ash value in a herbal sample most likely indicates adulteration with:

• Sand, soil or siliceous contaminants
• Excess volatile oils
• Increased glycoside content
• Higher microbial counts

Correct Answer: Sand, soil or siliceous contaminants

Q15. Which storage-related factor most commonly leads to inadvertent adulteration and quality deterioration of herbal materials?

• Poor packaging and storage conditions causing moisture uptake and pest infestation
• Excessive laboratory testing
• High-performance liquid chromatography profiling
• Frequent chemical standardization

Correct Answer: Poor packaging and storage conditions causing moisture uptake and pest infestation

Q16. Which profiling technique is widely employed for comparative fingerprinting of herbal extracts to reveal adulteration or batch-to-batch variation?

• High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprinting
• Loss on drying method
• Simple refractometry
• Visual color matching only

Correct Answer: High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprinting

Q17. Which primary inspection is most effective at detecting foreign organic matter (e.g., twigs, husks, other plant parts) in herbal consignments?

• Organoleptic and foreign matter examination by trained personnel
• Acid-insoluble ash testing only
• HPLC quantification only
• DNA testing without sampling

Correct Answer: Organoleptic and foreign matter examination by trained personnel

Q18. Which analytical technique is the method of choice for comprehensive screening and confirmation of pesticide residues in herbal raw materials?

• Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS)
• Simple UV-visible spectrophotometry
• Basic water titration
• Microscopic powder analysis

Correct Answer: Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS)

Q19. Which supply-chain control measure most effectively improves traceability and reduces the risk of adulteration in herbal ingredient sourcing?

• Chain-of-custody documentation combined with supplier qualification and auditing
• Only relying on lowest-cost suppliers
• Anonymous bulk purchasing without records
• Random visual checks at retail outlets only

Correct Answer: Chain-of-custody documentation combined with supplier qualification and auditing

Q20. To detect clandestine addition of pharmaceutical actives (e.g., PDE-5 inhibitors) in herbal sexual enhancement products, which analytical method is most definitive?

• Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS)
• Moisture determination alone
• Total ash measurement
• Microscopic transverse sectioning

Correct Answer: Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS)

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